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Tennessee football’s five best seasons when losing to Kentucky

By Caleb Calhoun

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 24: Mascots Davey Crockett and Smokey of the Tennessee Volunteers pose for a photo prior to a 38-13 loss to Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 24: Mascots Davey Crockett and Smokey of the Tennessee Volunteers pose for a photo prior to a 38-13 loss to Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

833. Final. 20. 839. 23

4. 1925: 5-2-1 (2-2-1)

Speaking of setting the stage for the future, Tennessee football had been a solid program during this time under M.B. Banks. Dating back to the 1910s, the Vols had won the SIAA title in 1914 and 1916 under Zora G. Clevenger and John R. Bender respectively. Banks took over in 1921 and guided UT through its move into the Southern Conference in 1922.

Around this time, rivalries were beginning to take shape, and the Vols had played Kentucky every season dating back to 1906. UK led the series 9-8-3 entering this year, and coming off a 3-5 season, the Vols were looking for a turnaround. After a 2-0 start, they lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores and tied the LSU Tigers.

At 2-1-1, however, this team won three straight to get to 5-1-1. They were set to face Kentucky at Stoll Field in Lexington, and in a close battle, they lost 23-20. That made for a disappointing end to the season, but these guys managed to finish 5-2-1, a better winning percentage than anything UT has had since firing Phillip Fulmer, proving that what happened in 1924 was an anomaly.

Beyond that, this was Banks’ last year and the last game UT would play before Robert Neyland became its head coach. Neyland was an assistant at the time, and when he took over the next year, he began to establish the Vols’ dominance over both Kentucky and Vanderbilt, something they still expect to this day.

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